All Rise...

Editor's Note

The Charge

Here comes the bribe…

Opening Statement

Anne Fletcher's The Proposal is undoubtedly one of the better romantic
comedies this year. No, the film certainly doesn't break any new ground in this
particular genre, but its enjoyable plot, likable characters, and excellent
performances make for a thoroughly entertaining viewing experience. In other
words, say yes to The Proposal, and I promise you won't be
disappointed.

Facts of the Case

In the film, Sandra Bullock slips into the role of Margaret Tate, a harsh
book editor who runs into a huge problem when her latest U.S. visa application
is denied and she suddenly faces deportation to Canada. Overwhelmed by the
shocking news and unwilling to simply give up her career, Margaret resorts to
the only option she's got at this point: blackmail her assistant Andrew Paxton
(Ryan Reynolds, Adventureland) into a
marriage of convenience.

Reluctant at first, Andrew eventually decides to jump on board as long as
Margaret promotes him to editor. On top of that, the two also have to convince a
ruthless immigration agent their upcoming marriage is real, which is why they
start by visiting Andrew's eccentric family in Alaska. It is there that both
individuals slowly realize that they may actually have more in common than they
originally thought.

The Evidence

Most predictable films I've seen recently failed to win me over, but that's
not the case with The Proposal. On the contrary, Fletcher's romantic
comedy successfully captured my attention and really made it easy for me to
enjoy watching Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds warm up to each other onscreen.
That said, don't expect this comedy to break any boundaries, because it operates
well within the conventions of its genre.

In fact, The Proposal tells a quite familiar story: it follows two
characters who pretty much despise each other at first but then slowly start to
fall in love as they get to know each other a little better. It's the standard
plot of two people who are not meant to fall for each other but eventually do,
and, in this case, I have no problem with that formula. The film works on many
levels, and one thing I ended up really appreciating is its light, very
accessible humor.

The jokes in Pete Chiarelli's script may not be the most sophisticated out
there, but they provoke some light laughs and help create the film's overall
harmless, enjoyable atmosphere. Even though we're in for a slow start, The
Proposal takes off once Margaret and Andrew arrive in Alaska to see his
parents, and, of course, their pretense that they love each other carries a
bunch of hilarious comic moments that lighten up the mood and send the second
part off to a good start.

Even the film's more intimate, romantic sequences are never too saccharine
or overblown. Most of what you see is obviously way over the top, but, in the
end, there's just something about this film that manipulates you into forgetting
about all the improbable stuff. That something, of course, is the brilliant
cast, which I consider to be the movie's most valuable asset.

Yes, it's a real pleasure to see the beautiful Sandra Bullock mastering her
role as the tough book editor with a soft side, and she completely dominates
every scene she's in. She's got plenty of charm and can both cause laughter and
evoke emotions, and her performance as Margaret is quite simply delicious. Most
importantly, she managed to make me care about the character she's portraying,
and that's always a success.

Bullock also shares a great onscreen chemistry with Ryan Reynolds, who's
been delivering a bunch of solid performances recently. Reynolds brings a lot of
charm and energy to his character as well, and he and Bullock make all of their
scenes together work superbly. Bullock and Reynolds add a lot of flavor to this
film, but so does the spectacular supporting cast.

The Proposal is one of those films succeeding via the strong
collaboration of its talented actors, and the movie sure has many of those.
Craig T. Nelson and the wonderful Mary Steenburgen convincingly play Andrew's
parents, while the always funny Betty White delivers some of the film's most
hilarious lines as granny Annie. Adding to the whole fun is Oscar Nunez's
Ramone, who supplies viewers with a great joke every time he shows up.

This standard DVD edition carries a solid 2.35:1 widescreen presentation,
and the quality of the image is crisp and clean throughout. The same goes for
the audio transfer, which is why I'm really satisfied with the film's technical
aspects.

Besides two deleted scenes with optional commentary by Anne Fletcher and
Peter Chiarelli, the bonus material also includes 6 minutes of silly outtakes
and an alternate ending, which I admit is by far not as good as the one they
ended up using in the final cut. The special features also come with an audio
commentary by Fletcher and Chiarelli, and the two cover a wide variety of
topics. From characters to story and all the way to the making of the film,
Fletcher and Chiarelli share some informative stories you should definitely
listen to in case you want to learn more about how the script came together and
how they ended up shooting the film.

Closing Statement

As standard as it is, The Proposal is a charming romantic comedy that
probably won't provoke huge laughs, but still provides a big smile or two. Oh,
and before I forget, it also includes what will probably go down as one of the
most surprising dance sequences in big-screen history. Yes, this one scene alone
makes this film required viewing. As I mentioned above, say yes to this proposal
and enjoy watching Sandra Bullock at her best.